New Bo Nix Stat Reveals How Shedeur Sanders Could Have Been a Great QB at Oregon

The Oregon Ducks lost the Pac-12 Championship against the Washington Huskies with a final score of 34-31. However, they remained a formidable unit throughout the entire season, with QB Bo Nix at the center. One of their most crushing victories was against the Colorado Buffaloes where QB Shedeur Sanders struggled for almost the entire matchup. As regular season games have come to an end, an interesting comparison between Shedeur and Nix has come to light.

Colorado beat writer Brian Howell pointed out that Shedeur Sanders stood out as a QB with one particular stat in question. In his tweet, Howell compared the O-line strength of the Oregon Ducks with that of the Colorado Buffaloes. He brought forward the argument that Shedeur Sanders’ stats would be far better with the kind of protection that Bo Nix had with his team.

Howell’s argument has a valid standpoint since Shedeur Sanders’ struggles with the Buffs’ weak O-line have been evident, especially in the latter half of the season. In their matchup against UCLA alone, Shedeur was sacked seven times at the Rose Bowl Stadium.

However, the Ducks QB has had an ample amount of protection with only 10 sacks in the two seasons combined. Howell argues that if Shedeur had this level of protection, he could lead CU to great heights. Shedeur has still showcased his prowess on the gridiron, and despite losing six back-to-back games, he is the fourth-best QB prospect for the upcoming NFL draft.

Fans Compare Bo Nix to Shedeur Sanders

Football fans were quick to take sides in the comments while comparing both Shedeur and Nix from their own perspective. Quite a few seemed to support Bo Nix for being a better QB, and not just someone who relies on stronger protection.

This fan stated that Shedeur holds the ball longer than Nix, which leads to a lot of sacks. He wrote, “Bo Nix average time holding the ball is 2 seconds. Sanders holds the ball 3 seconds on average before throwing. That’s literally worth a few sacks a game right there. It’s not just the O line. Keep trying though.”

Another fan chimed in and took the Ducks QB’s side, noting, “Bo Nix got rid of the ball in 2.2 seconds on average, Bo could also read coverages,and Bo could scramble and was not opposed to throwing away if all covered.”

A fan penned a detailed comment comparing the O-line of both the Buffaloes and the Ducks. He commented, “Bo gets rid of the ball fast and has coaches that enable it. Deion leaves his kid with 7 step drops to get murdered. Sanders also holds onto the ball too long. Ducks OL is only so-so, they’re not the reason for the low sack total this season.”

Yet another fan added that Shedeur often holds the ball too long, noting, “Shedeur holds the ball 3x as long. Those sacks would follow him to Oregon.”

The Colorado Buffaloes had a disastrous season with their weak offensive line. In their game against UCLA, Shedeur Sanders was hit multiple times. He absorbed seven hits, even resorting to taking pain-relieving injections during the game.

Considering the position of the team, Deion Sanders continues to overhaul the roster. They recently had a stroke of bad luck after two four-star recruits, Antwann Hill and Winston Watkins, revoked their commitments to the Colorado program. They had the potential to strengthen the O-line in the upcoming seasons under the leadership of Deion Sanders.